Educational appliance.



No. s3'5,|s2. Patented not. |7, |399.

. l A. PERRY.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANGE.

r. s, 189s.)

(Application led Ap (No Model.)

NiTn STATES Trios.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE;I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,182, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed April 5, 1899. Serial No. 711,843. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE PERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cherokee, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Im provements in EducationalAppliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to devise an educationalappliance for the young which will be portable7 contain within itselfall the means necessary to form words and sentences, and illustrateprimary number work, the combining elements being normally heldseparated in individual compartments and readily accessible forselection when it is required to display certain matter or illustrate anarithmetical problem.

The device consists of a cabinet comprising a cellular body and alongitudinally grooved or stripped cover, the ledges formed by thegrooves or strips supporting the blocks when grouped to display therequired matter.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the following description and the drawingshereto attached, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of the appliance, showing it in operative relation. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewshowing the device folded. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of the caseand cover, the full lines showing the normal position of the blocks andthe dotted lines their projected position after the case has been tiltedand again brought to a normal or upright position.

The same reference characters indicate like and corresponding parts ineach of the views of the drawings and are employed in the following`description to designate identical parts.

The cabinet is composed of the body l and the cover 2, hinged togetherat one side, fastenings holding them together at the opposite side. Thecabinet is portable and is supplied with a handle 3 for convenience ofcarrying.

The body l is cellular, being subdivided by longitudinal and transversepartitions into a plurality of compartments or cells 4 of desiredlength, depth, and breadth. The blocks 5, bearing thecharacters,-letters, numerals, punctuation-marks, arithmetical signs,and the like, are placed within the-compartments, the several charactersbeing separated and stored in individual cells to facilitate theirselection. Some ofthe blocks are blanks and are used to space the words,numerals, and other signs and characters. The cover 2 has longitudinalspaces G formed by grooves or afliXing-strips 7 to the inner sidethereof. The strips 7 constitute shelves or ledges upon which the blocksare supported when collated. These supports 7 are narrow, being ofsuff1- cient depth to afford a safe purchase for the blocks 5, which arecomparatively thin.

The boX and cover are light and strong, be-

well-seasoned wood being preferred. The size of the cabinet will dependupon the number of the compartments and the dimensions thereof. Forcarrying or storing the device appears as shown in Fig. 2 and occupies asmall space and when in use the cover is turned down into anapproximately Vertical position, as shown in Fig. l. In this positionthe body is supported upon a shelf, bracket, table, or projecting ledge,or it may be snspended from a nail or peg by means of a cord, wire, orchain applied toeyelets 8, affixed to the ends of the cabinet. Ashoulder-strap (not shown) may be applied to the eyelets 8 and may serveas the suspending means. When positioned, as shown in Fig. l, the blockscontaining the letters to form the words and sentences are selected andcollated upon the ledges 7. If it be required to demonstrateprimary-number work, the blocks bearing the numerals and the signs areselected from the compartments 4 and are properly assembled upon thesupports 7.

It will be observed that the ledges 7 correspond in number and positionwith the longitudinal partitions of the body l. rlhis arrangement bringsthe two sets of longitudinal partitions into coincident relation whenthe cover is closed and the cells 4. directly oppo-Y site the spaces 6.This is of special advantage, as it enables the ends of the blocks to belng constructed of thin and stiff material, f

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projected from the compartments a sufficient distance to be readilygrasped when selecting them to display a lesson. Before the cover isopened the cabinet is tilted toward the side closed by the cover. Thiscauses the blocks contained in the compartments 4C to enter the spaces 6and project from the compartments a distance corresponding to the depthof the ledges 7, so that upon rigl1t ing the cabinet and opening thecover tbc blocks can be easily grasped.

The device admits of a variety of instructive lessons beingdemonstrated, and its range of usefulness in other directions may beextended. Hence it is obvious that various changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- Theherein-described portable educational appliance consisting of a cabinetsubdivided by intersecting vertical and longitudinal partitions intocompartments to receive blocks bearing letters, numerals and likecharacters, and provided with a handle, a cover hinged at its lowerlongitudinal edge to the cabinet and adapted to swing outward anddownward and secured at its free edge when closed by fastenings appliedthereto and to the cabinet, and longitudinal strips applied to the innerside of the cover and provided in number and position to register withthe longitudinal partitions of the cabinet when the cover is closed topermit the ends of the blocks to be projected beyond the walls of theircompartments into the spaces formed between the said longitudinal stripsupon tilting the cabinet, whereby the blocks can be conveniently andreadily grasped when required, said longitudinal strips also formingsupports for the blocks when selected and collated to demonstrate alesson, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALICE PERRY. [L s.]

fitnessesz CLYDE S. HOFFMAN, E. A. PERRY.

